The Benue State House of Assembly has directed Dr. Grace Adagba, Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), to step aside amid growing controversies surrounding the recruitment of primary school teachers.
This resolution was passed during Thursday’s plenary session in Makurdi after a heated debate initiated by the Majority Whip, Peter Ipusu.
The motion, seconded by Alfred Berger, received overwhelming support, with 21 lawmakers voting in favor and five opposing.
Speaker Hyacinth Dajoh, ruling on the matter, stated, “The chairman should step aside and hand over to the Permanent Member to enable a thorough investigation.”
He also announced the formation of a seven-member committee tasked with investigating the recruitment exercise and reporting back within seven days.
The decision followed concerns raised by Ipusu, who accused Dr. Adagba of defying the Assembly’s earlier resolution to halt the recruitment process pending investigations into alleged irregularities.
He criticized the chairman’s subsequent release of a statement announcing revised cut-off marks and the shortlisting of additional candidates for physical screening, describing it as a disregard for legislative authority.
Alfred Berger added that the law establishing SUBEB delegated teacher recruitment to Local Government Education Authorities, with the board’s role limited to supervision.
He argued that Dr. Adagba’s actions compromised her integrity, rendering her unfit to continue as chairman.
However, the resolution faced resistance from the Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, and Anthony Agom (PDP/Okpokwu), who advocated for fair treatment.
Tiseer noted that Dr. Adagba had honored a summons to appear before the House and urged lawmakers to act within constitutional guidelines rather than succumb to prejudice.
The Assembly’s decision underscores its resolve to ensure transparency and accountability in the recruitment process, while the seven-man investigative committee’s findings are eagerly awaited.